Last Wednesday, as we reached Muna Children's Day Care Center established for children of laborers at Ganga Jamuna Brick Kiln in Nandikesar, Bhaktapur, Majhi watched her sons happily drinking milk, with tears in her eyes. "I could never have given my children so much. I have seen my sons becoming healthier ever since they started spending their day here at the center. They provide them with nutritional diet like milk, fruits, and eggs, and they're also away from the pollution of the brick kiln," she said. Majhi drops her sons at the center at 10 every morning, and then goes to work. "Now that we aren't worried about our children, we've been able to work better and make more money," the young mother shared.The day care center have been established in a house nearby the kiln keeping in mind the education and health needs of the laborers' children. "Children of laborers working in two other nearby kilns also attend the day care center," informed Bal Govinda Tamachu of Ganga Jamuna Brick Kiln.
According to Mandira Khadka, facilitator of the Center, there are a total of 34 children being taken care of at the day care center. "We're happy to see positive changes in the children. Not only have they become healthier, but they have also learnt basic manners, and can now sing the national anthem," she shared, adding that they also try to promote learning through the medium of playing, singing and dancing. "The little ones really enjoy being at the center," she said.
"In the past, we saw that children, who stayed with parents working in the kiln, were frequently unwell. We are now planning to expand the center to a permanent space with better management by next year. The coordinator and educational equipments at the center have been provided by the financial help of Save the Children, and Child Development Society's cooperation," informed Tamachu.
As per the data of Save the Children, there are a total of 700 brick kilns in Nepal, out of which 62 are in Bhaktapur alone. "With the financial help of Save the Children and technical cooperation of Child Development Society, we are working towards making 15 kilns in the District child labor free," informed Keshav Chabal, who runs Kumari Mata Chimni Brick Kiln in Changunarayan Municipality, Bhaktapur.
According to Chabal, under the campaign of making Bhaktapur a child labor free District, three brick kilns have already been declared free of child labor.
"Under the coordination of Save the Children and Child Development Society, children's day care centers have been established in nine brick kilns in Bhaktapur, including in the one I run where about 25 children of laborers from three kilns are being taken care of. For children who study in classes six to 10, we have arranged separate coaching classes," Chabal said, adding, "I started working as soon as I finished class 10. But I hope no children of laborers will have to be away from education and basic health facilities. This is also one of the reasons I am so supportive of these day care centers."
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